Bath-mat.



G. W. SMITH & W. W. BECKER.

BATH MAT.

APPLICATION FILED DBG. 8. 1911.

1,099,671 Patented June 9, 1914. I 2 SHEETSSHEET l.

FI E11.

WiTNEzEnE:

CDLUMBM PLANOGRAPH c0.,wAsHlNo'roN. D. c.

G. W. SMITH & W. W. BECKER.

BATH MAT.

APPLICATION FILED DB0. s. 1911.

1,099,671 PatentedJune 9,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTDRNEY COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D.

lltlhll) STATES PATENT FFICE.

GERGE V7. SVHT- AND "WALTER W". BECKER, OF BUFFALO, NE'W YORK.

BATH-MAT.

Application filed 'December 8, 1311.

Specification of :Letters Patent.

Patented June i), 191 4L. Serial No. 664,555.

1' 'o all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Gironde lill. CiinrrH and lil/lauren W. Brenna, citizens el the United States. and residents of Buili'alo, in the eountjT oit .rlrie and State of New York, have invented new and useful linprovements in Bath-Mats, oi which the following is a speeilioation.

This invention relates to eollapsibleand toldalole bath mats oit' the class designed vlor the use et travelers and the residents ol rural and other localities Where the usual bath-tub conveniences are iunivailable. Among other constructions, such mats have heretofore heen provided with radial cords lor holdingl the tleiiible rim ot the mat in an upright position in order to retain the water. ln the use ot' the inat, these cords lie upon its bottoni and extent troni its center to its rim. This is objectionable because the cords are not. only uncomfortable to the 'l'eet but are liable to be caught by them and strained unevenly, thus slaeliening)l the cords at one side et the mat and releasing the coi'- responding portion ot' the rim with the result that some of the Water is spilled.

Une of the objects of our invention to dispense with the use ot such radiating or intersectinp,l cords, in order to overcome the above objections.

i further object is to provide the mat with simple. neat and inexpensive iiin-stitieners or supports which shall reliably hold its tiexible rim in an upright position for use and vet permit the mat to be folded and rolled into a small compass for conveniently packing, carrying or shipping it.

si further object is to improve the construction et' the cords or handles b v which. the mat is gathered, carried and emptied of its contents.

ln the accompanying dra-wings consisting; of 2 sheets: Figure il. is a perspective view ot the mat unfolded. tor use. Fig. Q is a fragmentary side elevation tliereot. on au enlarged scale. fllig. l is a traginentary perspective vi u' oit one of the riin supports or stilieners. Fig. le is a transverse section on line il-Md, filip.; 'is a pei.'- spective vieiv oit the mat shov-.fi r its term 'when gathered and lifted preg 'ztory to ,arrying and emptying it. l'lig. is a perspective vieiv et the neat as appears when tolded and rolled up. Fig. Y :i perspective Fig. f3 is a fragmentary side elevation thereot. on an enlarged scale. Fig. 9 is a cross section on line 9h79. Fig. S. Fig. l0 is a ti ientary top plan view of an adjoining` pa; ol rinrsupports.

Similar chaacters el reiterenee indicate eprresponding parts throughout the several views.

The mat is constructed of a sheet of iexrA ble Waterproof material. such as rubber cloth. l't comprises a bottoni or body-portion l and z. raised shallow rim or ivall Q, the mat beingl prel'erably square or approximately so, as shown. The llexible rim is held in an upright position by supports or stilleners il consisting of comparativelf.7 still hars, slats or tram-es'arranged on the outer side of the rim ivalls and extendingl from the corners of the mat to or nearlv to the middle ot said Wallsas shoivn in lille'. l. ln the preferred construction shown in Figs. 1 6). these rin'rsupports consist et metallic loops or slieleton trames each heut trom a` single length ot steel wire and comprising longitudinal bars el. 5 connected at their inner ends by a cross loar G and provided at their outer ends with eyes T which encircle a substantially upright pivot-pin or pintle 8 by which the two Wire-supports ol adjoining Walls oit the rim are hinged together, to permit folding' of the mat as hereinafter described. '.l`hese supports may be fastened to the rim by any suitable means. but are preferably seived thereto, as shoivn at 9. the upper bars 4t bei ng' provided tor this purpose with integral eyelets lo tor the passage ot the thread. is shown in Figs. l and 2 the extreme corner-portions oi the mat are preierablj.T lett,- tree er detached from the rinisupports to prevent buckling` or puekering ot the mat at those points. Arranged cern trallv and horizontally on the outer side of each rim-Wall is a `flexible pocket or housing` 'il Which receives and ineloses the opposing` inner portions ot the tivo Wire supports ot the ivall. These pockets inav consist ot a strip ot' doubled rulober cloth stitched or otherwise secured to the rim, preferably only at the upper edge et the pocket., as shown.

The upper and lower pintle-eves 'l' of each pair ot hinged rim supports are held at the ends ot the pintle t3 bv suitable spacers 12. The spacers shown in the drawings are bent i a single piece of Wire and consist oic a view of a. modified construction of' themat. l suhseantialljfY upright bar provided at its ends with inwardly-extending arms terminating in eyes l?) which encircle the pintle and bear against the upper and. loiver eyes of the rim-supports.

handles or loops for carrying and emptying it after bathing. These loops are preferably formed by one or more continuous draw-cords ll threaded through eyelets or l of the rim-Walls they rit its four sides the mat is provided with openingsI l5 arranged at suitable intervals in E the rim of the mat. These openings are located near thel corners of the mat. so that the portions of the lifting cords or loops inside the rim extend only across the corner portions of the mat Where they are remote from its central area upon which the bather naturally stands. The cords therefore produce no discomfort. and are not apt to be l caught by the bathers feet. rIwo cords are shoivn in the drawings to a'ford better control of the mat in lifting and carryii'ig it. but a single cord may be employed, if desired. These cords pass loosely through the eyelets in the rim so that they may slide freely therein in gathering the mat preparatory to lifting and carrying it to vthe place Where it is to be emptied. rlfhis is done by first grasping two loops at opposite sides of the mat. one in each hand. raising them and bringing them together into one hand. The remaining tvfo loops are then successively raised with the other hand` thus gathering or folding the four Walls of the rim toward the center of theinat. Upon now lifting the mat it assumes approximately the form shown in Fig. 5. thus reliably confining the iva-ter therein. lt may noW be conveniently emptied by holding the several cord-loops in one hand, bringing three of the spout-like folds of the mat together and using the fourth as a spout for pouring out its contents. After emptying the mat it may be folded diagonally a number of times and then rolled into a small bundle. as shown in Fig. 6. ln this conipact form it occupies but a smallA space in a trunk or traveling bag. lt can also be cheaply shipped or compactly stored. By the above described construction and arrangement of the lifting cord or cords. all of the handle-loops formed thereby need not be carefully and uniformly raised in lifting the mat. but may be raised higher' on one side than on the other Without danger of spilling its contents. for the reason that the capacity of the continuous lifting' and draw-cords to slide freely in all sides of the mat-rim permits the mat always to assume a level position under the Weight of its contents. At the same time this arrangement leaves the central portion of the mat free from/the cords, as hereinbefore described.

TheY rim supports or stifleners 3 reliably sustain the rim inits normal substantially upright position for retaining the Water in the mat, and as these supports are pirotally or foldably connected at the corners of the mat and terminate at or near the center permit doubling of said Walls and folding of the mat as above described. By constructing the rim-supports or frames of steel Wire, they will readily spring bach into place in case they should be bent or defiected. By inclosing the inner ends of these frames in the pockets ll, the loops of the lifting cords ll cannot catch thereon or become entangled therewith, avoiding all danger of accidentally disturbing any portion of the mat in such manner as to spill its contents.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. T-lO. Wooden riiii-supporting` slats 16 are substituted for the Wire frames 3. These slats are secured to the rim by sewing or lacing, as shown at l?. Their inner ends are housed in pockets ll. as in the firstdescribed construction. While their outer y ends are foldably tied together by cords 1S.

This modified mat has draiv and liftingl cords 14 like those shown in Fig. l, and the mat may be lifted, emptied and folded in the same manner as the one first described.

life claim as our invention:

l. A collapsible rectangular bath mat. comprising a flexible. and collapsible body having a flexible rim. and stiff rim-supports extending along the Walls of the rim from the corners of the mat nearly to the middle of each of its four Walls. leaving the middleportions of the rim-Walls unstiffened to permit doubling thereof at those points.

2. A foldable rectangular bath mat, comprising a flexible body having a flexible rim. and stiff rim-supports extending along` the Walls of the rim from the corners of the mat nearly to the middle of said Walls. said supports being permanently secured to the rim Walls, and means for foldably connecting the adjoining rim-supports at the corners of the mat.

3. A foldable bat-h mat comprising a flexible body, a flexible rim and stiff rim-supports attached to the outer sides of the rim- Walls and extending from the corners of the mat nearly to the middle of the rim-Walls. and means for foldably connecting adjoining rim-supports at the corners of the mat.

ft. A foldable bath mat comprising a flexible body, a flexible rim, stiff rim-supports attached to the outer sides of the rim-Walls and terminating at the corners of the mat. and means for foldably connecting adjoining rim supports at the corner of the mat. the rim-supports being detached from the corner-portions of the rim and mat-body.

5. A. foldable bath mat comprising a flexible body. a exible rim. stiff rim supports extending along the outer side of the rim- Walls from the corners of the matncarly to the middle of'said Walls, and pockets attaohed to the middle portions of the riml ties passing through the eyes of adjoining Walls and inelosing the inner portions of frames.

said rim-supports.

(i. A foldable bath met eomprising e flexible body, a flexible rim, and stiff rim supports each extending along one of the Wells of the rim from the corner of the ma t nearly 4 to the middle of seid wall, eeeh support consisting of o metallic skeleton t 'eine pen marient-ly secured to the rim, the meeting ends of adjoining frames being hinged together to swing toward and from each other.

7. A foldable bath met comprising n flexible body, a flexible rim, rim-supporting trames extending along the outer sides of Walls and each consisting of e pair of longitudinal bars connected at their inner ends by et cross bar and provided at their outer ends with pintle-eyes, the pintle-eyes et ndjoiningl rim-supports meetingI at the corners of the met, and pintles passing through said eyes.

8. A foldnble bath met comprising zt flexible body, e iiexible rim, rim-supporting frames extending along the outer sides of the rim-Walls, eaeh of said frames being bent from a single length of Wire and comprising a` pair of longitudinal bars Connected at their inner ends by a cross bar and provided at their outer ends with pintle-eyes, and pin` 9. A foldable bath niet comprising a flexible body, e. flexible rim, rim-supporting trznnes extending along the outer sides of the rim-walls, ezieh ot said frames being bent from a, single length oi Wire and Comprising n pair of longitudinal bars connected nt their inne]` ends by a cross bar and provided nt their out-er ends with pint-le-eyes, one of said longitudinal bers havin g integral thread-eyelets, and pntles passing through the eyes of adjoining frames.

l0. A foldnble rectangular both met comprising i flexible body, n flexible rim having eord-openings neer its corners, stitl rimsnppoi'ts ext-ei'iding along the walls of the rim from the corners of the met nearly to the middle of said walls, and a4 continuous drew und lifting oord passing loosely through the openings oi the rim and eX- tending across the corner portions of the mnt and adjacent to the rim-Walls.

fitness our hands this 4th dey of Deeember, 1911.

@EGR-GE WV. Sth/HTH. VALTER W1 BECKER. ditnessses O. F. GEYER, E. M. GRAHAM.

Copie: of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

